Veteran Star man tasted the highs and lows

In his long career veteran Star journalist Bob Davies covered some of Shropshire's biggest stories of the 20th century. But a couple of his 1960s assignments captured the highs and lows of the job.

And 87-year-old Bob, from Bayston Hill, has sent us pictures which highlight the point.

"One is a photograph of me on the roof of Shrewsbury market hall," said Bob, at the time chief reporter of the Shropshire Star at Shrewsbury.

"It was taken by chief photographer Bob Craig and to get to the roof, for the topping out ceremony when the building work was completed, we had to climb a series of ladders which zig-zagged their way on the outside of the tower. 

"There was nothing to protect you from falling and when I think back to it it was completely crazy. These days, of course, health and safety quite rightly wouldn’t allow something so foolhardy to happen.

"Around the time we climbed the market tower we went to the other extreme by going underground!

"Again, it was me and Bob Craig and as you can see, I was emerging after going several feet underground to inspect the new sewerage pipes which were being installed in the Longden Green area of Shrewsbury."

Bob cannot remember the exact dates, but the market hall assignment looks like it was in April 1965 as the front page of the Star of Monday, April 5, of that year reported on the topping out of Shrewsbury market hall clock tower. 

The story with it began: "Shrewsbury Town Councillor Patrick Ryan, vice chairman of the markets and fairs committee, hauled himself up the 220ft clock tower of the new general market hall today to lay the last brick - the 48,001st - in a topping out ceremony. And from his lofty perch he paid tribute to the men responsible for constructing the huge tower..."

The accompanying picture showed Councillor Ryan having a high level chat with some of the men who had erected the giant tower above the market hall, which was taking shape on the site of the town's demolished Victorian market hall.

A topping out ceremony is a builders' rite to celebrate the putting in place of the final piece of a structure during construction, and takes it name from the tradition of celebrating the putting in place of the last part at the top of a building or structure.

Bob was already an experienced journalist, having joined the old Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News in 1952. With two John Davies already in the Journal office, the newly-arrived third John Davies was asked if he had another name, and ever since he has been Bob, although close family still call him John. 

He was one of the founding Star team when the new Shropshire Star was launched 60 years ago, in October 1964.

Sports reporting - particularly golf and football - has been a big string to his bow, covering his first Shrewsbury Town match in 1958 during a time when his career was interrupted by National Service in the RAF. The Town were playing at Watford, and being based nearby, the young RAF man went along to report on it. 

And his golf reporting has included covering the triumphs of Shropshire golfing giants like Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam.